LESSON #1: JORDAN PEELE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS— …and what he wants is increased representation and opportunity. The Get Out and Us director set off a debate for the ages this week (especially in the Feelin’ Film Facebook group) after an interview in The Hollywood Reporter where he discussed his casting preferences. Jordan Peele knows the playing field is not equal. He is his own man, brand, and creator. He can do something about it. More power to him.
LESSON #2: RIDLEY SCOTT IS ONE COOL DUDE— In a minorly viral story, a New Jersey high school recently adapted Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic Alien into a daring school play. Word got around about its success and it made it to the ear of Scott. In responses, the legendary director wrote a really classy letter of praise to the school and even cut them a check to help them out. I love seeing stories like this! I wish more of them happened.
LESSON #3: “SUBSCRIPTION FATIGUE” IS COMING— With the news of Apple’s new streaming service launch on Monday, the war for the consumer entertainment dollar just got more crowded. I know it counts as a buzzword that will be way overplayed in rants and click bait to come, but I like term “subscription fatigue” used by David Lazarus in this Los Angeles Times piece on the swelling streaming marketplace. All of these choices (including the opening lineup of the Criterion Channel) and ones that are bound to come from more studios matching Disney’s moves, could very well be proof of “too much of a good thing.” Folks might have so many streaming bills pretending to be ala carte cable that they might be better off having a cable bill again. I always say price point is key. These services by themselves are low and affordable, but when you have more than five of them, you’re going to feel the wallet pinch.
LESSON #4: DISCOVER THE LEGEND OF AGNES VARDA— We Americans have probably never heard of this woman who passed away on March 29th. Do yourself a favor and learn about Agnès Varda and her impactful work as an artist. She is a figurehead of documentary filmmaking and cornerstone of the French New Wave. Discover some of her available work on these streaming platforms. You will be well-rewarded.
DON SHANAHAN is a Chicago-based and Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic writing on his website Every Movie Has a Lesson and also on Medium.com for the MovieTime Guru publication. As an educator by day, Don writes his movie reviews with life lessons in mind, from the serious to the farcical. He is a proud director and one of the founders of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle and a new member of the nationally-recognized Online Film Critics Society. As a contributor here on Feelin’ Film now for over a year, he’s going to expand those lessons to current movie news and trends while chipping in with guest spots and co-hosting duties, including the special “Connecting with Classics” podcast program. Find “Every Movie Has a Lesson” on Facebook, Twitter, and Medium to follow his work.
